To the 5 Boroughs
Encyclopedia
To the 5 Boroughs is the sixth studio album by the Beastie Boys
. The album was released on June 14, 2004 internationally, and a day later in the United States
. The album debuted #1 on the Billboard 200
with 360,000 copies sold in its first week. To the 5 Boroughs was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
at the 47th Grammy Awards, losing to Kanye West
's The College Dropout
.
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
. The album was released on June 14, 2004 internationally, and a day later in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album debuted #1 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 360,000 copies sold in its first week. To the 5 Boroughs was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
at the 47th Grammy Awards, losing to Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's The College Dropout
The College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
.
Significance
- Their single "Ch-Check It Out" debuted on The O.C.The O.C.The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
in "The Strip" from Season 1, airing on April 28, 2004.
- This album has been released with the Copy ControlCopy ControlCopy Control was the generic name of a copy prevention system, used from 2001 until 2006 on several digital audio disc releases by EMI Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in several regions...
protection system in some regions.
- The album was the cause of some controversy with allegations that it installed spywareSpywareSpyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
when inserted into the CD-ROM of a computer. The band has denied this allegation saying there is no copy protectionCopy protectionCopy protection, also known as content protection, copy obstruction, copy prevention and copy restriction, refer to techniques used for preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media, usually for copyright reasons.- Terminology :Media corporations have always used the term...
software on the albums sold in the U.S. and in the U.K. While there is Macrovision'sMacrovisionRovi Corporation is a globally operating, US-based company that provides guidance technology, entertainment data, copy protection, industry standard networking and media management technology for digital entertainment devices and services...
CDS-200 copy protection software installed on European copies of the album this is standard practice for all European releases on EMI/Capitol Records released in Europe and it does not install spyware or any form of permanent software.
- The album is the first time the Beastie Boys did not work with a co-producer and the second album to feature Mix Master MikeMix Master MikeMix Master Mike is an American turntablist and contributing member of the Beastie Boys.-Life and career:Born Michael Schwartz in San Francisco, California, Mix Master Mike is of German and Filipino descent. He first came to prominence upon winning the 1992 New Music Seminar/Supermen Inc...
.
- As the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
were included in the game NBA Street V3NBA Street V3NBA Street V3 is the third game in the NBA Street series. It is the sequel of NBA Street Vol. 2. It was released for PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox, along with a PlayStation Portable port of V3 called NBA Street Showdown....
, the track "An Open Letter to NYC" was included in its soundtrack.
- To the 5 Boroughs has two main themes — a tribute to their home town New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
after the September 11 terrorist attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
(although, notably, the Twin Towers are on the cover drawing) and a criticism of George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's presidency.
- "An Open Letter to NYC" is built around a sample from the track "Sonic ReducerSonic Reducer"Sonic Reducer" is a punk rock song written by Gene O'Connor and David Thomas during their tenure in Rocket from the Tombs, which made its debut on the Dead Boys 1977 album Young, Loud and Snotty...
" by the punk band The Dead BoysThe Dead BoysThe Dead Boys were an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Among the first wave of early punk bands, the Dead Boys were initially active from 1976 to 1979, briefly reuniting in 1987, 2004 and 2005.-Formation and 1970s punk rock era:...
from their 1977 album Young, Loud and SnottyYoung, Loud and SnottyYoung Loud and Snotty is the debut studio album of the American punk band Dead Boys. It was recorded and released in 1977 on Sire Records, with Genya Ravan serving as producer.-Track listing:...
.
Critical reaction
- Metacritic.com reviews of the album showed that the album rated 71 out of 100 meaning that the album received a generally positive response from critics. A summary of reviews and suggested tracks for legal downloading from each review is below.
- PlaylouderPlayLouderPlaylouder is a digital music and media company. It is a music site which provides news, reviews, and other related content. It also claims to be the world's first Music Service Provider or MSP — a broadband, Internet Service Provider that bundles access to music content with broadband...
said "To the 5 Boroughs is a triumph." Best tracks "An Open Letter to NYC", "Ch-Check It Out" "3 The Hard Way" 5 stars out of 5
- Rolling Stone Magazine said "To the 5 Boroughs is an exciting, astonishing balancing act: fast, funny and sobering". Best tracks: "Ch-Check It Out", "Right Right Now Now" "It Takes Time to Build" 5 stars out of 5
- PopmattersPopMattersPopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
said "In fact, it's their best album since Paul's BoutiquePaul's BoutiquePaul's Boutique is the second studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989, on Capitol Records. Featuring production by the Dust Brothers, the recording sessions for the album took place in Matt Dike's Apartment and the Record Plant in Los Angeles from 1988 to...
. Best tracks: "Right Right Now Now", "Crawl Space", "Hey F*** You" "The Hard Way"
- Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said: "The beats are (...) simple and effective, with a welcome lack of bells and whistles that made Hello Nasty so distracting." (18 June 2003, p 83) Rating 83
- Allmusic said: "It's rather impressive that they're maturing gracefully turning into expert craftsmen who can deliver a satisfying listen like this". Best Tracks: "Ch-Check It Out", "Time to Build", "Triple Trouble" "An Open Letter to NYC", "The Brouhaha" Rating 4 stars out of 5
- The NME said: "Like Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
, the Beasties are re-examining hip hop — what it was, what it is, what it can be". (12 June 2004, page 47).
- The Onion AV ClubThe OnionThe Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
said: "With To the 5 Boroughs Beastie boys discover a musical entryway to an earlier, more innocent era, affording listeners the exuberance of youth together with the hard-won wisdom that can only come with experience. Best tracks: "Ch-Check It Out" "Time to Build" "Triple Trouble".
- Urb said the album "signals something of a rebirth of their signature creativity." (July/August 2004 page 123)
- E! Online rated the album as a B- saying it was "fun but hardly fresh.
Track listing
- "Ch-Check It OutCh-Check It Out"Ch-Check It Out" is a song by alternative hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single off their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song heavily samples " The Dock of the Bay" by Peggy Lee. It was also nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2005 Grammy...
" – 3:12 - "Right Right Now NowRight Right Now Now"Right Right Now Now" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs.-Track listing:U.S...
" – 2:46 - "3 the Hard Way" – 2:48
- "It Takes Time to Build" – 3:11
- "Rhyme the Rhyme Well" – 2:47
- "Triple TroubleTriple Trouble (song)"Triple Trouble" is a song American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the second single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs...
" – 2:43 - "Hey Fuck YouHey Fuck You"Hey Fuck You" is the 6th track on the Beastie Boys Album "To the 5 Boroughs."This is the only song on the clean version of the album that has censors because of the line "And if you don't like it then hey, fuck you!" is sampled....
" – 2:21 - "Oh Word?" – 2:59
- "That's It That's All" – 2:28
- "All Lifestyles" – 2:33
- "Shazam!" – 2:26
- "An Open Letter to NYCAn Open Letter to NYC"An Open Letter to NYC" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song's lyrics talk about the group's affection for their homeplace, New York City. It also alludes to the 9/11 terrorist attacks...
" – 4:18 - "Crawlspace" – 2:53
- "The Brouhaha" – 2:13
- "We Got The" – 2:27
- "Now Get BusyNow Get Busy"Now Get Busy" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released in 2004. The song appeared on the compilation album The Wired CD...
" – 2:25 Japanese bonus track
Australian 2CD Tour Edition
- "An Open Letter to NYC"
- "Rizzle Rizzle Nizzle Nizzle" (Remix for "Right Right Now Now")
- "MTL Reppin for the 514" (Remix for "Right Right Now Now")
- "Sabotage" (live)
- "Brr Stick Em"
Singles
- "Ch-Check It OutCh-Check It Out"Ch-Check It Out" is a song by alternative hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single off their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song heavily samples " The Dock of the Bay" by Peggy Lee. It was also nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2005 Grammy...
", released in May 2004- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The song debuted April 28 on the iTunes StoreITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
- United States
- "Triple TroubleTriple Trouble (song)"Triple Trouble" is a song American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the second single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs...
", released in July 2004- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: Played by world premiere from the Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
station KROQ-FMKROQ-FMKROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
and other stations. - United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Played by world premiere from BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and other stations.
- United States
- "Right Right Now NowRight Right Now Now"Right Right Now Now" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs.-Track listing:U.S...
"- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
: The song was first played by KNDDKNDDKNDD , also known as "107.7 The End", is an alternative rock radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is operated by Entercom Communications Its studios are located in the Metropolitan Park West tower between Downtown and South Lake Union in Seattle...
and KROQ-FMKROQ-FMKROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
in September.
- United States
- "An Open Letter to NYCAn Open Letter to NYC"An Open Letter to NYC" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song's lyrics talk about the group's affection for their homeplace, New York City. It also alludes to the 9/11 terrorist attacks...
"- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: Charted at #38 in December 2004.
- United Kingdom
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Billboard 200 | #1 |
| 2004 | European Album Chart | #1 |
| 2004 | Top Internet Albums | #1 |
| 2004 | Top Canadian Albums | #1 |
| 2004 | Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums | #1 |
| 2004 | UK Albums Chart | #2 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Ch-Check It Out Ch-Check It Out "Ch-Check It Out" is a song by alternative hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single off their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song heavily samples " The Dock of the Bay" by Peggy Lee. It was also nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2005 Grammy... " |
Billboard Hot 100 | #68 |
| 2004 | "Ch-Check It Out Ch-Check It Out "Ch-Check It Out" is a song by alternative hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single off their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song heavily samples " The Dock of the Bay" by Peggy Lee. It was also nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2005 Grammy... " |
Modern Rock Tracks | #1 |
| 2004 | "Ch-Check It Out Ch-Check It Out "Ch-Check It Out" is a song by alternative hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single off their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song heavily samples " The Dock of the Bay" by Peggy Lee. It was also nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2005 Grammy... " |
Canadian Singles Chart | #1 |
| 2004 | "Triple Trouble Triple Trouble (song) "Triple Trouble" is a song American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the second single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs... " |
Modern Rock Tracks | #11 |
| 2005 | "An Open Letter to NYC An Open Letter to NYC "An Open Letter to NYC" is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the third single from their sixth studio album To the 5 Boroughs. The song's lyrics talk about the group's affection for their homeplace, New York City. It also alludes to the 9/11 terrorist attacks... " |
UK | #38 |